Auto repair: screwed?

[orangecat]

I got it real good yesterday, I think. Car had to be towed in, died. Place I take it to is Jeckyl and Hyde, I think. Only reason I think that is because I've read bad reviews of place, but I've always gotten great service there.

I've heard inconsistencies from employees also. One guy came in with his brake pads and was quoted $50 to put them on! Another time almost exact situation but they guy hadn't already bought his pads, he was just asking, and they quoted $75-100.

Anyway, my little deal. Crankshaft Position Sensor needs replacing. Grand total $612. I was so happy to have this done in one day I just paid it. Now I'm thinking I got taken.

Here are the clues
1. He bumped up the estimate from $400 to the acutal $612.
2. The price of the part is not listed on the invoice and that is what he claimed bumped up the estimate.
3. There is a fair amount of sales tax on the invoice. I thought sales tax was only put on the part? If so, why not put the part on the invoice?

The car is idling a little rough anyway, so I'm taking it back regardless.

Okay, now I need to do my research and find out what a decent price is.

 

[orangecat]

more info. diagnostic fee $69.95. OReilly has the part for $66.

 

[Blain]

Probably idling rough because it is in it's relearn procedure (if it's a newer car)

 

[NCAAFBALLROX]

For Central Texas, the "normal" shop rates @ $ 75.00 to $ 85.00 per hour, $ 80.00 being consistent.

You should call any other shop & ask how many shop hours they have in the computer system for doing your repair.

Also, can you give us your make / model / year?

 

[orangecat]

I called Kia, (2005 Optima) and they said it's a 4.5 hour job. So, I guess I wasn't taken after all. And the 8% wasn't tax, it was "supply fees". Evidently this part is at the bottom of the engine and it just takes a long time to get down there.

It just seems really weird to compare the costs of the timing belt I had done by the same shop. 3 months ago I had the timing belt and water pump done for $485, and now this for more. Oh well, the car runs good when driving, just a really rough idle.

I called the shop and told them I would be back Monday so they could drive it and listen to the idle. He seemed receptive.

I'm in north Texas, I wish I had $80 per hour up here. This shop charges $90, but they are always running specials for maintenance. Aha, that's why they are always running their specials, so you'll know who to take it to for repairs.

But, they are fast. In the case of the timing belt and water pump, one day no problem. This deal, same thing one day.

 

[accuratehorn]

Unfortuneately, on some models to get to the crank sensor you do almost everything you had to do to change the timing belt-may be the case here.
Then most shops do charge to check with their scanner, and dealers charge to check before and after with the scanner, to verify the repair cured the problem.
In auto repair, tax is charged only on the parts and the supplies, not for labor or sublet repairs (like towing, machines shop charges).
It does sound like the person giving the estimate did not look up your model and give a correct estimate. He should have called you to authorize the repair. Maybe he said something like, most cars we do-this repair is around $400. There was poor communication, at the least.
This is when customers get mad-when you tell them one price, and it is higher when they pick up the car. It may have been legitimate, but a poor job of giving the estimate and failing to let you know the actual price ahead of time.

 

[orangecat]

okay, so I take the car back, the check engine light is on, the guy doesn't want to do anything, I persuade him to at least check the codes. He says to replace plugs, says platinum plugs are required, I ask how much, he says platinum plugs cost $7-8 each, total 65-70$ before shop supplies probably.

So I let him do it, car does not improve, and he says he is not going to charge me yet. He wants to go back and check the timing.

Next day he says timing is okay, but I probably have a bent valve or something because of something. Meanwhile I took car home yesterday, and started thinking about it some more. Looked up Oreily auto parts, platinum is not required, and even if they were, platinum plugs start at $2.79. So I decide to take car elsewhere, when I call him he backpedals, claims he found out platinum are not required and says he actually put in regular plugs.

Says he has done a compression test, etc. He explained a lot more after I told him I was going to take it elsewhere. Talked about how the timing jumped, etc. I listened to his thing for several minutes, asked if I owed him anything, he says no. I thank him for his time, and hung up.

Strangely enough the car is running better today. I asked him about this, and he says the computer is compensating for the possible bent valve.

Anyway, I'm done with this guy. I think what he really has is a serious lack of communication skills to go along with his shooting from the hip when it comes to estimates.

It's a shame because the previous guy had a really good vibe to him. He would actually look up stuff before quoting something.

Now I'm debating about how much to tell the next mechanic. Maybe not even take it in. If the computer is causing the idle to adjust, is there any more damage that can be done?